


Escape Clause

by lordtrayus



Category: Star Wars Legends - All Media Types
Genre: Clone Wars, Gen, Imperial Star Destroyers (Star Wars), Rise of the Empire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 21:49:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29496822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lordtrayus/pseuds/lordtrayus
Summary: Jedi Council member Shaak Ti, along with Master Coleman Kcaj, have been dispatched on an urgent mission to evacuate a Republic base, where General Grievous has launched a vengeful attack on the planet of Torvaskl, and is seeking the contents of the Republic base...and the Jedi defenders within
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Escape Clause

Escape Clause

Tovarskl was a terrestrial planet, nestled in the reaches of Wild Space. Twelve years ago, it had been the site of the final battle of what was known as the Huk War, a vicious campaign that had been led by Kalee General Qymaen jai Sheelal, a powerful and ruthless warlord of the Kalee people, who had been determined to wipe out the Huk, or as they were known to the wider galaxy, the Yam’rii, for their people’s transgressions against his own. The Yam’rii, desperate for aid, had petitioned the Jedi for help, and as a result, the Judicial forces, led by Jedi Masters T’chooka D’oon and Jmmar, had arrived, crushing the brilliant Kalee General’s onslaught, repelling the Kaleesh invasion and sending Kalee itself into economic devastation, which, ten years later, had made it a prime candidate for the Separatist Movement, and had sent their general into a spiral of despair, which made him an ideal target for the InterGalactic Banking Clan.

What was that old phrase, reap what you sow?

For Kalee had joined the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and what was worse, the Kaleesh General who had led the war effort, he had been almost killed, almost destroyed, in a shuttle crash, from which the IBC had saved him. And then, they had remade him, as the greatest and most prolific mass murder in history to date (and he had some stiff competition throughout the various conflicts the galaxy had suffered), and the most effective Jedi killer since the time of Darth Sion and the First Jedi Purge following the end of the Jedi Civil War.

The IBC had recreated the Kaleesh general as General Grievous, and his hatred for the Jedi who had taken up arms against his people was only eclipsed by his hatred for the species that the Republic and the Jedi had sided with during the Huk War, the Yam’rii themselves.

And now, Tovarskl, a world that he had failed to conquer due to Jedi interference a decade ago, was once more the target of his wrath. And this time, he would finish the job.

XX

The _Venator_ class Star Destroyer _Guarlara_ departed orbit from around the planet of Dantooine. A droid incursion had been reported, and Master Windu, fearing that the isolated nature of the planet had encouraged the Separatists to once again use the planet to test new weapons of war, had dispatched the Star Destroyer, along with two Jedi generals, in order to investigate the planet.

There had been no cause for concern, it had merely been a recon and spying base which had been set up, most likely to scout out the possibility of an attack on the nearby Gravlex Med, and Jedi Council member Shaak Ti and Jedi Master Coleman Kcaj had been more than sufficient, leading their troops to the planet and quickly mopping up the droid forces.

“General Ti, we have a priority message from Coruscant.” Her clone commander, Cueball, called as such for the bald head he sported, informed her as she and Coleman stood on the command deck of the ship as it left Dantooine’s orbit.

“Thank you commander. Make preparations for our jump to hyperspace please.” She ordered and gesturing with her striped, montralled head, she and Coleman headed to the holoprojector at the back of the bridge.

Shaak Ti was a Togruta, a member of a species from the far flung world of Shilli. Appointed to the Jedi Council following the death of Master Yaddle in a bioweapon attack on Mawan nearly seven years before. Ever since then, the red skinned Jedi had served the Council well, providing a calm diplomatic voice on the Council, while mastering arts of healing and, despite her outward appearance as a diplomat who preferred talking to fighting, remaining one of the most accomplished swordsmen of the Jedi Order. With the advent of the Clone Wars, Shaak Ti had become one of the twelve High Generals leading the war effort, and was also the order’s primary liaison with the Kaminoans, overseeing the cloning program and the next generation of clones. Having fought on numerous fronts, including Geonosis, Brentaal, Hypori and even leading a prison riot to victory on Dagu, Shaak Ti was a valued member of the Order and one of their most powerful members.

Master Coleman Kcaj was an Ongree Jedi Master hailing from the planet Skustell, a species who’s appearance often prompted the ignorant or the young and foolish to call them upside-down heads, which the Ongree themselves found rather derogatory. With their yellow eyes framing their mouth, filled with sharp, predator like teeth, their head was roughly triangular in shape, their appearance was, granted, rather odd among most species of the galaxy, however that was no excuse for derogatory remarks. Coleman had served throughout the Clone Wars, having fought on Geonosis, and then had become a general throughout the war, having led a campaign that had lasted the vast majority of a year on Borosk, and had also helped Master Saesee Tiin with the Battle of Ikotoch. An accomplished warrior, he had trained three Padawans during his career, and while a consummate warrior and master strategist, he was also an excellent diplomat, having once negotiated a ceasefire in the Sepan Civil War (which only lasted three months admittedly, but it was longer than most ceasefires lasted in that system). Master Kcaj was now a member of the Old Guard, the group of Masters who were considered likely to be appointed to the High Council upon a new vacancy opening, along with Master Luminara Unduli and Master Tsui Choi.

The two Jedi swept to the back of the bridge, the hologram of Master Mace Windu and Master Yoda flickering to life before them.

“Master Yoda, Master Windu.” Shaak Ti said in greeting, inclining her head respectfully.

“Master Ti, Master Kcaj, gladdened I am to see that in good health you are. No problems on Dantooine I trust?” Yoda asked in his peculiar backwards dialect, and Coleman shook his head.

“No master, it appears as if they were merely setting up a spy station, most likely to consider the possibility of a strike on Gravlex Med considering the increasing tension there.” He explained in his guttural voice, and Mace nodded.

“That’s good. I’m afraid you can’t return to Coruscant just yet. It appears as if the Separatists holding action is over, General Grievous has launched an attack on the planet Tovarskl, it seems as if he means to finish what he began during the Huk War. Reports indicate that he is carrying out a policy of ethnic cleansing on the planet, slaughtering the Yam’rii by the thousands.” He explained grimly, and Shaak Ti looked at him sharply.

“We must help them, we can’t stand idly by and let him slaughter thousands of Yam’rii.” She said, and Coleman nodded.

“Quite so, we are near to Gravlex Med, we can summon forces and be there within a few hours.” He agreed, and Mace nodded.

“That is the plan, however, you two will not be able to do so. Master Swan and Master Offee will rendezvous with Master Piell, and they will lead the assault on the planet to save the local populace. You two however, will not be involved. You have a different mission.” Mace explained, and Coleman looked at the most senior Council members in surprise.

“We are to stand idly by while millions die?” he demanded incredulously, and Mace looked to Yoda, who took the lead.

“A specific mission have we in mind for you. Isolated was Tovarskl, hence the decision by the Admiralty. Set up a research facility on the planet they did, and dispatched there was Commander Lira Blissex. Creating a new weapon of war was she on the planet, and now, trapped there by Grievous forces she is. Allowed to fall in to enemy hands, she, or the plans cannot be. Go to the planet you must, and free Commander Blissex, and escort her here to Coruscant. Imperative it is that to safety you get her.” He informed them, and Shaak Ti exchanged a look with Coleman before turning her black eyes back towards her fellow masters.

“What’s so important, what’s she designing?” she demanded.

Lira Blissex and her father, Walex, were the primary designers of the _Venator_ and _Victory_ class Star Destroyers, both of which, the _Venator_ even more so, were vital parts of the Republic war effort. However, as she was usually safely locked away in an office on Kuat, her presence on Tovarskl demanded answers.

“A new generation of Star Destroyer, more powerful and prominent than any other before now. This new class, she sees it as being the backbone of the entire Republic fleet. However, that isn’t our main consideration. If Grievous captures her, the woman who designed the ships that make up over two thirds of our cruisers will be in the hands of the enemy, and if Grievous realises who she is, he won’t rest until she tells him everything. That’s why it’s imperative that we evacuate her off the planet, if Grievous gets his hands on her, or those plans…” Mace began, and Coleman nodded, his expression guarded.

“Then he could reverse the momentum of the entire war effort, even with the damage that has been done to the Separatist cause in recent months. So, we spring her from her predicament, and get her to Coruscant. I trust Master Piell won’t be far behind?” he asked, and Yoda nodded.

“Indeed. Already en route to Gravlex Med is Master Piell. Assume command he will, rendezvous with Masters Swan and Offee, and when joined by Master Kota he is, leave immediately for Torvaskl, he will.” Yoda explained, and Shaak Ti looked at him curiously.

“Do you wish one of us to remain behind and meet up with Master Piell when he arrives?” she asked, and Mace shook his head.

“No Master Ti. You see, part of the reason for this is the fact that the Supreme Chancellor has requested that you personally escort Commander Blissex back to Coruscant.” He told her remorsefully, and allowed himself a small smile as Shaak Ti struggled to keep her irritation under control.

“I see. Very well masters, we shall report back when we have her.” She said, bowing her head and allowing the holo to flicker out, letting Coleman turn to her curiously.

“Are you alright Master Ti?” he asked, and she exhaled through her nose to suppress her irritation, just like she had always been taught.

“Yes, I’m fine. Thousands are dying, and we can’t do a damn thing to save them because we need to save Blissex, who shouldn’t be there anyway, and we can’t even do anything once we have her due to a special request from the Chancellor.” She grumped, and Coleman smiled.

While he was only a prospective future member of the Council, it was no secret that the relationship between the Council and Palpatine was becoming more strained with each passing day, and some of the masters, Shaak Ti being one of them, were more irritated than others by his decisions.

“We live to serve my friend. Am I right in saying that you haven’t encountered General Grievous since your first encounter with him on Hypori?” he asked as the two of them headed down the command walkway, and Shaak Ti nodded grimly.

The Battle of Hypori had been a disaster, and they had lost several good Jedi, and poor K’kruhk had been out of commission for months following their confrontation with Grievous. Their armies had been slaughtered and Grievous himself had torn into them, she herself had barely survived.

“Yes it is. He’s slaughtered a lot of Jedi since then.” She growled, her eyes narrowed as they approached the commander of the Star Destroyer, Commander Walla Primrose.

“Captain Primrose, set a course for the Tovarskl system.” Shaak Ti ordered, and Primrose nodded her head.

A career officer, she had made the jump from commanding a _Consular_ class cruiser to the bridge of a Star Destroyer after the Battle of Jabiim. A tall and proper woman, she was clad in her tight military uniform, her vivid red hair wrapped into a severe bun, and her young face offset by the strain of commanding a Star Destroyer at war. Shaak Ti had worked with her several times now, and the two women had built a healthy respect for one another.

“Certainly Master Ti.” She said, turning and barking out the orders, her green eyes looking around sharply for any signs of laxity on her bridge.

“And prepare yourselves…we have an appointment with General Grievous.” Shaak Ti warned, and Primrose met her gaze with a horrified one of her own as the ship leapt to lightspeed.

XX

Tovarskl burned. Columns of noxious smoke were belching into the atmosphere, so much so that they could be seen from orbit. The cities of the Yam’rii had been flattened, and the burning, brittle corpses of thousands of dead Yam’rii were piled high beside what had been their homes, and more bodies were hauled out by battle droids and added to the pyre.

The rivers ran black with a mix of ash and blood coursing through them. Great scars had been cut out of the landscape by the orbital bombardment that Grievous had used to soften them up in preparation for his assault, and the wildlife of the planet was also burning, their screams and cries filling the smoke blackened night air.

The planet, formerly a terrestrial planet of greens, blues and browns, was now glowing orange and streaked with black. The native plant to Tovarskl, the fire grass which looked beautiful, and generated a pleasant, warm feeling when walked through, was now burning, it’s volatile, flammable qualities that it possessed when unprocessed by the Yam’rii now proving to be their undoing, as Grievous, having such an intimate knowledge, was more than capable of using it against them.

And on the fire plains of the planet, two Jedi led the beleaguered, beaten and burned survivors of Grievous latest vicious attack towards safety.

Puroth was a four armed Eirrauc Jedi Master, who, some said, looked rather similar to an eopie, complete with the elongated snout, but instead she possessed four eyes. A peaceful woman, she had nonetheless served the order for many years, training to apprentices in her time, and upon the start of the war, had taken command of an army and had led them well and ably. Bolstered by her six arms and her peculiar method of walking, the enemy frequently underestimated her, which she had used to her advantage many times.

Her former apprentice, Nystammall, was an insectoid Vuvrian, who possessed twelve eyes of varying size and two long antennae which came from his head. Having been apprenticed to his master for many years, his actions on Geonosis had led to his being knighted, and, similar to Anakin Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi, the two had continued to be paired up for missions, and it was that which had brought them to this terrible state of affairs.

The two Jedi had been at the planet Valc, overseeing the construction of a new Republic fortress there, when they had received the distress call from Tovarskl. Hastening to their aid, the two Jedi had taken their two _Venator_ Star Destroyers, along with three _Arquitens_ class frigates, to their aid, only to find upon their arrival that they had walked headlong into a massive Separatist onslaught. The three frigates were ripped apart by vulture droids within minutes, and both Jedi had had to abandon their ships, which by this time had been subjected to the multiple guns of the Separatist fleet. Barely managing to escape and slip through the blockade (due more to good luck than skill) the two Jedi, having each reached the planet with a _Nu_ class shuttle each and five gunships between them, had rallied what remained of their men and had headed for the planet’s capital, Alini’tik.

By the time they reached the capital however, it was too late, and the battle was in full force, with Grievous himself leading the offensive, gleefully using the lightsabers he plucked off of still warm Jedi corpses to slaughter the Yam’rii who were desperate to oppose him and his droid army. The arrival of the Jedi and their clones gave the Yam’rii a slight boost, allowing them to force a small, coherent defence, but against the superior numbers of battle droids, and the demoralising effect of watching their planet burn around them, along with the presence of Grievous himself, they had soon lost what little ground they had had.

The gunships had all been damaged in the descent, rendering them useless, and they had lost several of the gunners, but that had still left the Jedi with one hundred and eighty six troops, seven speeder bikes, and most useful of all, one of the gunships had been carrying an ATTE which had survived the drop, and had also given them two ATRTs. However, when the line had broken outside the capital, they had lost the ATTE and the Jedi had sacrificed the remaining walkers and the speeder bikes to create an explosion in order to give them time to get away.

And now, the two exhausted Jedi were leading a group of one hundred and two clones, and a large group of Yam’rii refugees, all determined to find shelter as the fires pursued them just as doggedly as Grievous did, his evil, mocking laughter booming across the doomed fire plains as he hunted down his prey.

“Run little Jedi, run! It will make it all the more satisfying when I slaughter you!” Grievous crowed, his voice echoing across the plains as the Jedi led their beleaguered companions hopefully towards safety.

“Master, where are we heading?” Nystammall asked, breathing heavily, and Puroth gestured towards the mountains that weren’t far from their present location.

“That is our destination, hopefully there we can find safety, shelter, and a means to escape this planet.” She replied in her wheezy, nasal sounding voice, that despite how it ought to work, actually pleased many to hear rather than rubbing them the wrong way.

Commander Gorge, Nystammall’s clone commander, shook his head as they continued to flee.

“With respect general, entering those mountains would be a bad idea, we’d be cut off, with nowhere left to run. It’d be a death trap.” He warned, and now Puroth’s commander, Commander Trick, shook his head.

The two were an odd pair. In contrast to their generals, the two clones hardly got on at all, constantly bickering with one another about something or other.

“The general’s right, we can create a chokepoint, make them come to us…” he began, and Puroth held up one of her hands as blaster fire echoed in the distance, those damn super battle droids were catching up, and Puroth felt a fresh ripple of fear rinse across the group.

“Enough. Councillor Kiltak, could you tell them what you told me?” she asked, chancing a look behind her as she did so.

She could see him, skeletal white as he emerged with his legions of droids through the burning flames that scoured the planes, with STAPs, AATs and spider droids following him as he advanced. And beside him, a smaller figure, dressed all in black, with a red helmet and crest on their chest, all of them approaching steadily, only firing long range shots as if knowing they had all the time in the world.

The Republic forces however, didn’t.

“The Republic asked us for permission to set up a research base on the planet, permission which we granted. There is a base in those mountains, that is where we are headed.” Kiltak informed the group, and the clones turned to look at the Yam’rii councilman in shock.

The Yam’rii were a bizarre looking species. Tall, long and spindly, they were mantis like in appearance, over two metres tall, usually green, brown or grey in colour, though there were occasional anomalies, like red ones. These insectoids were large, aggressive and expansionist, which is what had brought them into conflict with Grievous long before he had even considered holding a lightsaber, and their actions and dodgy dealings during the Huk War were the reason that Grievous had returned here with a vengeance.

“You allowed the Republic to build a secret base here?” a female Yam’rii demanded in indignant rage, her skin mottling in fury, and Kiltak met her fierce gaze with one of his own.

“Yes, because as that demon following us will attest, we need their help! For decades we mistreated the Kalee, and that monster is now our just reward!” Kiltak stormed in their chittering tongue, and the female Yam’rii glared at him, clicking her mandibles as she reared up on her hind legs in challenge.

“The stars are our ancient birthright, and they belong to us, they only got out of hand because of people like you!” she stormed, and Nystammall came between them.

“Silence, this will wait for another time! Grievous is right behind us, we need to go, so let us go! Master, lead on!” he called, and Puroth nodded, and with a gesture, she began to up the pace, the clones and Yam’rii refugees running after her, following her lead with her former apprentice bringing up the rear as they headed for the relative safety of the mountains.

XX

“General, they’ve upped their pace!” the yellow crowned battle droid beside him reported and Grievous focused his reptilian eyes on the fleeing refugees.

“Cowards. Very well, up the pace too, open fire and slaughter as many of those disgusting insects as you possibly can!” he ordered savagely, and the droid commander nodded as the droids began thundering past them, some of them glowing red hot because of the heat from the burning fire grass, while STAPs blazed overhead and the spider droids and tanks trundled after the survivors.

“Why do you think they are so determined to reach those mountains?” the woman beside him asked, and Grievous turned to face the woman.

Clad all in black, with a red bird like crest emblazoned on her chest, and a red helmet protecting her face, Naerra Nath was one of Dooku’s few remaining Dark Acolytes. Having fought in the Battle of Geonosis, she had taken command of one of the Sith Enforcer tanks that was sent to stop Mace Windu from reaching Count Dooku, however, while she had been roundly beaten by the Jedi Master, she had escaped the exploding tank, though the explosion had scarred up half her face. An Umbaran, she was pale white in skin, and while mostly bald, she did have a small ponytail of shock white hair at the back of her head, and purple marks running up her skull, along with piercing violet eyes. Over the course of the war, while he, Ventress, Durge and others had taken great pleasure in dealing with the Jedi, she herself had turned her attention to the clones, and had spent hours perfecting her technique, and was able to completely and utterly destroy clones after having wrenched all possible information out of them, a combination of her skill with the Force along with her natural Umbaran abilities. She had been on Mygeeto and had left with the intelligence reports that the planet was soon to be targeted as part of the Outer Rim Sieges the Republic was beginning to embark upon, and had came here to meet with Grievous.

“I have no idea. Perhaps if we find you a clone to play with, you can find out.” He told her, as he and the Dark Acolyte sped after their troops, eager to join in the slaughter that was to come.

XX

“Master!” Nystammall yelled as he deflected a shot into an oncoming STAP.

The droids had upped their offensive, and now they had caught up, blaster shots and cannon blasts picking off both clones and Yam’rii as the two beleaguered Jedi attempted to get their charges to safety. Grievous was now right on their heels, his mocking laughter getting to the younger Vuvrian as he covered their retreat, two clone squads spreading covering fire into the ranks of droids pursuing them, the air filled with the sound of blaster fire.

Up ahead, Puroth was deflecting laser blasts left right and centre, while also guiding forward the head of their refugee convoy, sending them into the crags that marked the entrance into the secret Republic base, but as she progressed, she realised that if they didn’t do something about the droids, they would quickly discover the entrance to the base, and then they would have no chance at all to escape.

“Commander Gorge, we need to secure our escape from the droids, take command of the convoy, get them into that base while I help Nystammall deal with the onslaught!” Puroth yelled, leaping through the air, landing catlike, her blue blade slicing through a super battle droid which Nystammall had Force pushed towards her.

The clone troopers created a maelstrom of covering fire while Gorge led the refugees into the base, the two Jedi deflecting blaster bolts and cutting down droids as they pushed forward their advance. Grievous and the Dark Acolyte beside him were steadily approaching, but the two Jedi intended to be long gone before the two of them arrived.

“Commander, how are we doing?” Puroth called into her comm as she Force pushed a squad of oncoming battle droids, watching proudly as Nystammall flipped through the air, landing deftly in front of a droideka and slicing it in two before turning to stand side by side with his former master.

“All of the Yam’rii are inside general, but there’s a flight of STAPs approaching and tank droids are getting closer to our position.” He reported, and Nystammall threw his saber, skewering it into a commanding battle droid before calling it back to his hand with the Force.

“Commander, set charges on the entrance, as soon as the last of us are inside, we can blow it, that should give us enough time to hopefully effect an escape.” He ordered, and Puroth nodded, wincing as a clone was cut down by a missile fired by a super battle droid.

“Agreed. Time for us to retreat, fall back to the base entrance, and let’s be quick about it!” she ordered, as the droids upped their attempts to kill them as spider droids began to heave into view.

The two Jedi began to cover the retreat as Grievous advanced, taking the lightsabers from his waist, clearly preparing to engage the two Jedi, but they had no time to spare.

“Nystammall, out of here, go, now!” Puroth ordered, and her former Padawan sent her a tortured look before he began to backflip away, as she took the defensive stance at the entrance into the canyon that led to the Republic base’s entry point. Her blue lightsaber was flawless, her mastery of Soresu proving her defence unassailable, blaster bolts springing between her and the droids determined to kill her. She could see Grievous’ eyes narrow in hatred as he approached, preparing himself to slaughter yet another one of their kind, when her comm chimed.

“General, the last of us are inside the turbolift, we only need you to join us!” Gorge yelled, and with that, the snouted Jedi Master backflipped, her saber whirling around her, sending still more blaster shots back towards the droids trying to kill her. Coming to a stop, she deactivated her lightsaber, allowing the four clones in the lift with her and Nystammall to lay down covering fire while she wrenched several rocks from the ground and sent them hurtling towards the droids, scattering them and interrupting their wave of fire, and with that, she had what she needed.

“Now!” she barked, the door slamming shut and the turbolift bolted upwards, Gorge hitting the detonator as they did so.

The lift shaft rocked, and Nystammall heard a cascade of rubble fall, blocking the entrance as the Jedi and their clones made for the relative safety of the base.

XX

“Cowards.” Naerra spat, watching the small landslide block up the entrance to the base, and Grievous laughed.

“All they’ve done is seal themselves inside where they can no longer run. Bring the tank and homing spider droids to bear, I want that rubble cleared. And once it is, all those Jedi will die!” he growled, eyes flashing with malice as he watched the first of the tank droids open fire with their cannons, superheating the rocks that were keeping him from his prey.

XX

“What is the meaning of this master Jedi, we are meant to be a secret research base, nothing more!” the base commander, a Nimbanel male with tufty white hair by the name of Gindawl Grindeen protested, barging through the clones and Yam’rii that were currently filling the large, cavernous entry chambed to the base, which the turbolift entered into, and Puroth inclined her head respectfully.

“My apologies commander, but we were short of time and options. We must evacuate the planet immediately, Grievous is not far behind.” She warned, and his face went the colour of the gloop the clones ate for breakfast.

“General Grievous is here?” he demanded in a whimper, and Trick nodded.

“Yes commander, so we need to evacuate straight away.” He told them, and the Nimbanel protested, spluttering indignantly.

“We can’t just up and leave, Commander Blissex is here, doing something very important for the Chancellor himself, we need to try and hold the base, or something!” he protested, and Nystammall turned his many eyes onto the commander.

“Commander, Grievous is here with an army, and we can’t stop him. Whatever Blissex is doing, it’s more important that we get her, you and your staff, and all of these survivors to safety. Can you help us or not?” he asked, and the flustered man nodded, before beckoning them after him.

“Yes, yes, but what a to do…follow me, follow me!” he encouraged, shoving through the assembled masses, and Puroth laid a hand on Kiltak’s shoulder, catching the glare that he was receiving from the female Yam’rii he had argued with earlier.

“Councilman, keep your people here for now, best not to make things more complicated than they already are. We shall be back presently, and Commander Gorge will stay behind and keep an eye on the turbolift shaft.” She told him, and the insectoid nodded, allowing the Jedi and Trick to follow the base commander.

“I don’t really see how we can get these people to safety master Jedi, we are only a small research station, we only have four ships, and all of them are fully outfitted with crews and passengers.” Grindeen informed her, and Trick turned to face the commander.

“Wait, the crews of those ships don’t make up the people in the base?” he demanded in shock, and the Nimbanel shook his head.

“No, they were sent here to see to the protection of Commander Blissex and her research team, we even have two ARC troopers.” He told them impressively as he led them up the main corridor, past a security checkpoint, which was filled with a squad of clones, who saluted as they passed.

“How many troops do you have here, including the crews of the ships you have in your hangar?” Puroth asked, and Grindeen looked at her with his wide black eyes, as though she was being obtuse on purpose.

“Why just over two hundred people.” He answered, and continued, passing another security checkpoint, which also contained another squad of troops.

“Master…” Nystammall muttered quietly, as Trick asked the commander about their security operations in the base.

“I know. Two hundred soldiers in a base fit for a quarter of that, something about this isn’t right.” She replied, as they passed a packed mess hall, almost overflowing with clones.

They passed two large barracks before entering a junction.

“The hangar is down there, we have a light assault cruiser, a _Nu_ class shuttle and two CR20 transports. But that’s all, I don’t see how you can evacuate the Yam’rii.” He told them, returning the salute of the squad of clones guarding the communications room.

“These people are losing their homes, their families and their planet, the least we can do is evacuate them. So what is available to us?” Puroth asked, her tone sharp, and while Grindeen sent her a resentful look, he answered her question.

“Well all the troops I already mentioned, and the ships, along with whoever wishes to fight of the natives and your own clones.” He told her, and Trick looked at him in shock, clutching his purple marked helmet.

“Why did you not begin evacuation proceedings when the planet came under attack?” he asked, and the commander shrugged.

“We didn’t think they would find us.” He told him frankly, and Nystammall shook his head in frustration as they passed the large command centre, heading along a narrow corridor.

“For the love of…sound the evacuation order, now! And begin channelling the Yam’rii towards the ships, if any wish to fight, by all means let them, but start getting essential personnel out of this base! Grievous is coming, move!” Puroth barked, and the smaller man gave a quick yelp and ran back to the command centre as the two Jedi headed with Trick along the corridor towards the research lab which was the very reason for the base to begin with.

“Something weird is going on here general.” Trick commented, as, at last, alarms started to blare throughout the base.

“Too true. Let us see what this Blissex woman has to say for herself, and then we can make plans.” She said, entering the lab.

Lira Blissex turned to face her, the screens behind her showing a wedge shaped warship before they shut down as her nine other research staff began moving with a purpose as the alarms rang through the base.

“Commander Blissex, I am Master Puroth and this is my former Padawan Master Nystammall. General Grievous is right on our tail, and I highly doubt we can keep him out for long. We must evacuate the base, and I am hoping that you seem more switched on than the good commander seems to be.” She said, shaking Blissex’s outstretched hand, and the woman nodded.

An elegant woman, she was quite tall, though was also thin, perhaps to the point of being gaunt. She had long black braided hair, and large, luscious red lips, and must have been considered attractive by human standards.

“Yes, he is a bit of a yes man, but to be fair, this was only meant to be a research base, not a military one. But if it is indeed Grievous, we must leave, he can’t be allowed to get his hands on what we’re working on, or, and this may sound very arrogant, on me either.” She said boldly, and Nystammall looked at her sceptically.

“And what is so important about you commander, after all, we have around one hundred and forty Yam’rii refugees holed up in the entry chamber.” He told her, and Blissex gave him a grim smile.

“And while I sympathise with their plight, the Yam’rii did not design the main frontline warship in use by the Republic, unlike myself.” She told him, and Puroth allowed herself a small version of her species smile as Nystammall blinked his many eyes in shock.

“Commander Blissex designed the _Venator_ class Star Destroyer apprentice. And I take it you are working on a new class too? Either way, you can see why we cannot allow her or her work to fall into the hands of Grievous.” Puroth said, and Nystammall nodded slightly.

“Of course. Commander, as you seem more with the program than the base commander, I need your help, we need to get as many people out of here as possible, which is quite a tall order, especially when Grievous is bearing down on our heads, can you offer any help?” he asked, and Blissex nodded, and gestured to a clone who had been hiding in the shadows.

“This is one of the two ARCs here, Wraith. He will help you in the protection of the base.” She told him, and Wraith saluted as he approached.

“Generals, the overlook is probably the best place to go to, from there we can see just how far Grievous is getting, and use it as a defensive measure too.” He told them, and Trick nodded.

“Good call. General?” he asked, turning to the two Jedi, and Puroth nodded, squeezing Nystammall’s shoulder.

“Go, see to our protection, I will see to the evacuation, and get Commander Blissex and the Yam’rii to safety. Make safe the base for as long as you can my former apprentice, and we may just get out of this yet.” She told him, and he nodded, leaving the room with the two clones, and Blissex shot Puroth a sceptical look.

“I know this base is quite heavily protected but you and I both know we have no chance of holding out long against Grievous.” She warned, and Puroth nodded sadly.

“Quite so. But we can make sure that you, your staff and as many Yam’rii as possible can use the ships to escape. Begin dismantling anything of use, any data that he could find. You will have the time to do so, that I promise you.” She assured, and left the room, contacting Gorge and telling him that he, and the other ARC in the base would be responsible for protecting Blissex and getting her and her staff to safety.

“Commander, we need to get out of here, if the Jedi discovers that we are researching the Hammertong project…” her Fosh aide muttered in a panic, and she silenced him with a look.

“They need never know. The Chancellor sent all the clones he did for a reason, to protect us in case of something like this happening. The Jedi are suspicious, yes, but the number of troops helps them more than hinders them at the moment, so provided we keep quiet then they need never know. Now, the Jedi is right though, destroy everything Grievous could use, and let’s get the hell out of here, if we’re going to have to share the ship with the natives I’d rather get good seats.” She said coldly, as her team began dismantling her lab from top to bottom, as she took the plans for the axial superlaser she had been researching and placed them in her jacket pocket.

XX

Nystammall had gathered two squads of clones, Wraith, Trick, and five Yam’rii volunteers who the base commander, now that he was being frightened into action by the presence of the Jedi, the steely disposition of Blissex and of course the threat of imminent slaughter. The Yam’rii seemed quite willing to assist them in this, determined to fight to try and keep this alst vestige of their home. Many more Yam’rii had taken up arms and were now in the entrance hall with Gorge and Puroth, and Grindeen was also there, with Blissex keeping half an eye on her squirrely compatriot as she and her staff evacuated everything of importance that needed to be salvaged onto the light assault cruiser, curiously named the _Hammertong_. The CR20s were being filled with those Yam’rii that couldn’t or wouldn’t fight, those base personnel and a squad of clones were being assigned to each one. The shuttle was undergoing a similar transition, though more clones and a few more base personnel were being stored in that. Puroth was overseeing the exodus of the Yam’rii towards the hangar bay while the clones rigged up traps, killzones and ambush sites, knowing that should Grievous and his droids get in, they would stand little chance against an army’s worth of droids when they barely had five hundred, many of whom weren’t willing or able to fight in the first place.

“General, we’ll be able to evacuate within half an hour.” The other ARC Trooper, Shadow, reported, and Puroth nodded as Blissex came to give her a status report.

“Master Jedi, we’ll have everything squared away soon, and the councilman is going to be on board the _Hammertong_ with my team and I, get him to safety.” She informed the elder Jedi, and she nodded, her black eyes narrowed suspiciously as she did so.

“General?” Gorge asked, and the Jedi focused her gaze on the lift shaft, before her eyes widened in horror.

“Down!” she bellowed, blasting as many people as she could with a powerful Force push, just as a rocket projected itself into the room and exploded, setting loose a cascade of debris, through which Puroth could make out the glowing blade of a red lightsaber and the shining purple eyes of its wielder.

Out on the overlook, Nystammall closed his many eyes in despair as he watched the firegrass plains of Tovarskl burn. Smoke billowed high into the air, and he could see the shattered remnants of what had once been the capital city. Thousands of droids were everywhere, and he could barely spot them hunting down and slaughtering any fleeing Yam’rii that they came across.

“General, we’re setting up turrets to rain fire down on the droids, that should keep them away from us for a while.” Trick informed him, and he nodded dolefully, but there was something bugging him about this entire thing.

“Wraith, why on earth wasn’t the base evacuated when you learned that Grievous was here and assaulting the planet, it doesn’t make any sense.” He said in confusion, and Wraith nodded, the smoke reflecting off his red and white helmet.

“I agree sir, but both Commander Grindeen and Commander Blissex insisted that she had to stay as long as possible, that she was at a critical stage of her research, but it’s…odd sir.” He said, and Nystammall and Trick turned from the overlook to face the ARC trooper.

“Odd how?” he asked, and Wraith shrugged.

“Well I overheard her a couple of weeks ago, saying the work on the new Star Destroyer she was designing was complete, so I don’t see why she had to stay, why any of us did, or why there was such a large security force assigned to the mission. I get she’s creating a new Star Destroyer, which she hopes will replace the _Venator_ , but still, all of the troops, and the secrecy and the help from the interested parties in the Yam’rii government…it’s odd sir that’s all.” He told them, and Nystammall had to agree, something was just off about all of this, so many troops for a research base, which was far from the most heavily protected areas of the Republic like Coruscant, Kamino and Kuat, who didn’t even flee when a Separatist attack began, and the secrecy, he was missing something, overlooking something.

He then realised that he had overlooked something else, and he felt the bottom drop out of his stomach.

“Commander, if Grievous was trying to get in, surely, even up here, we would hear his endeavours?” he asked sharply, and Trick looked at him, his face the picture of confusion behind his helmet.

“Well probably yes, but then we’d…” he began, just as a green lightsaber burst through his stomach, puncturing upwards.

“Blood of the Great Hive!” Nystammall crowed in shock as his clone companion dropped to the ground, and the other defendants rallied, readying their weapons as they gathered behind the Jedi, Wraith motioning them to hold still while Nystammall lit his blue lightsaber, bringing it up to defend himself and his comrades as with a clank, Grievous pulled himself up over the parapet, the skeletal white, menacing form of the Supreme Commander of the droid armies framed against the orange glow of the fire and the black smoke it was causing.

“Hello Jedi. As you can see, I’ve brought company!” Grievous purred as super battle droids began climbing over the parapet, and Nystammall realised just how foolish he had been.

By not heeding his surroundings, he had completely missed that there hadn’t been any noises of attempted entry into the base, and now the reason was apparent, Grievous had been leading his droids up the cliff face, and now, they were all trapped.

“Grievous!” Nystammall exclaimed, and Grievous laughed, lighting the blue lightsaber in his other hand, and he felt the first vestiges of fear as the Separatist general’s reptilian eyes narrowed.

“You must realise Jedi, you are doomed!” he ground out, and with that the cyborg general sprang, just as his droids opened fire.

The clones opened fire as well as the Yam’rii leapt at the cyborg who was destroying their home. As droids and clones dropped to the ground, the smell of burnt metal and plastic filling the air, Grievous brutally sliced one of the insects in half, before crushing another against the wall with his foot. Nystammall readied himself, preparing to move for Grievous, when Wraith shoved him in the shoulder.

“General, you need to warn the others in the base that we’ve been infiltrated, you’re no match for Grievous up here, warn them!” he shouted, shoving Nystammall towards the lift as Grievous decapitated three clones before twirling through the air and slicing a Yam’rii in two.

Nystammall looked, his expression tortured as more SBDs climbed up the parapet, quickly adding their firepower to the rapidly dwindling number of clones.

“Fall back!” he yelled in panic as he caught glance of STAPs approaching on the horizon.

Grievous squashed another bug beneath his foot, spraying green blood over the clones white armour and with a vicious laugh, he cut into the clones, dismembering them in seconds and entered the throng of clones that remained, the droids laser fire faltering as they watched their leader slaughter their opponents.

“General, go!” Wraith yelled, before Grievous split his head in two like a coconut with his saber.

“No!” Nystammall hollered, and gathered the Force to him, knocking him back with a Force push.

Grievous cursed in annoyance as he bent over backwards, his metallic legs keeping him from losing his balance. His droids however were not so fortunate, as many of his assembled troops then plummeted from the parapet with their comical yells and Grievous made a noise of frustration, shaking his head.

“Dumb droids. That’s it, run Jedi!” he shouted spitefully as the terrified Vuvrian entered the turbolift, “you’re only delaying the inevitable!”

Nystammall sent Grievous a last frightened glance as the doors slammed shut and he vanished into the relative safety of the base, and Grievous turned to his commander droid, who had somehow managed to miss being taken out by the clones.

“Summon the gunships, and contact the fleet, I don’t want anyone getting off this mountain, or off this planet. What I do want to know is why they are so keen to protect this base…” he said musingly before approaching the door and kicking it in.

The Jedi wouldn’t elude him for long.

XX

Puroth was the first one to recover, her blue blade slicing through the first of the battle droids as they entered into the base. The clones were just beginning to recover, and blue blaster shots were filling the dust and smoke filled air as the Umbaran leader smiled viciously, her red saber hacking into a Yam’rii, green blood spraying up the walls as she and her droids entered the base. The Yam’rii however were savage warriors, and now that they had recovered the volunteers were ripping into the droid forces with vicious vigour while the clones poured blaster fire into the entrance of the base, cutting down as many droids as they could that were now forcing their way inside. Battle droids of all descriptions were now entering, commando droids now leading the charge as blasts began to rock the room. Puroth was like lightning, her blue blade cutting down droid after droid, though her black eyes widened in alarm as droidekas managed to enter the base, closely followed by spider droids which were climbing up the lift shaft.

“General, we can’t hold this position much longer!” Gorge yelled as she Force pushed a super away from her and her defenders.

“Agreed, fall back!” she yelled, the clones beginning to retreat down the corridor, the savage Yam’rii dismantling more droids as they began their fighting retreat.

“Master Jedi, the captain of the _Hammertong_ says that Councilman Kiltak isn’t on board! It’ just that woman who keeps arguing with him!” Grindeen cried as her blue saber worked around them, forming an impenetrable tapestry of light, deflected shots cutting down the numerous battle droids now thronging into the entry corridor.

“What, where the hell is he? And is Commander Blissex on board?” she snapped, slicing a droideka in two before it could deploy itself.

“She’s in the hangar, mustering defences and overseeing the last of the refugees on board, her crew are already on but the councilman…” Grindeen began, but cut short with a yelp as a super fired a rocket into the wall above his head, showering him in shrapnel.

“I heard! Gorge, prepare the first kill zone!” Puroth yelled as they fell back along the corridor, heading for the first security checkpoint as droids flooded into the corridor.

Grindeen scarpered along the corridor as clones and Yam’rii were cut down despite Puroth’s efforts, and it was then that the Dark Acolyte entered the corridor, clearly having finished slaughtering the remaining clones in the entrance hall.

“Jedi! The general would never forgive me if I killed you…but I’m sure he’d understand if I just maimed you.” She sneered, leaping up the corridor.

Puroth backflipped, gesturing and sending the clones and Yam’rii around her hurtling up the corridor while bringing her blue blade up to counter Nath’s red saber.

“You are confident aren’t you?” Puroth asked mildly, spinning away from the attack before coming at the acolyte, who was using some bizarre alteration of Djem So, her red blade hammering away at the Jedi’s defence.

As the clones and the Yam’rii got to their feet, they beheld the two Force users, Puroth a wall of defence, her saber deviating Nath’s attacks and also managing to deflect the blaster bolts of battle droids that were attempting to get to her men. Nath snarled in fury, her violet eyes narrowed in anger as Puroth deflected another one of her attacks.

“Fight me Jedi!” she spat, and Puroth allowed herself her version of a smile.

“As you desire darksider.” She said sweetly, and flurried her blade, crashing it into the blade of the surprised acolyte, sending out a cascade of purple sparks. Nath spat in rage as the Jedi then pressed her advantage, forcing the Dark Jedi back as her flawless defence became the perfect offensive.

Nath was struggling under the power of the Jedi, Puroth was everywhere at once, her blade moving like lightning. Coming at her from above and a split second later from below, Nath was losing ground, and was being forced back towards her own troops. A savage uppercut swung down at Nath, who barely managed to deflect it in time, making a noise of panic as she did so. Puroth then spun, her bladework sending Nath’s into the wall, twirling and preparing to pierce the heart of her foe.

It was then that a commando droid fired a shot, distracting the Jedi, and she had to angle her blade to deflect the shot that would have drilled her shoulder, sending it into the face of the droid who had fired, but sacrificing her kill to do so. Nath crawled away from the large Eirrauc, into the ranks of her droids, which then once more opened fire, forcing Puroth once more onto the defensive.

“Ready commander?” Puroth asked, steadily falling back along the corridor, and finally passed the door of the security checkpoint.

The leading super battle droid ranks were now right in front, and Puroth then leapt the length of the corridor, arriving where Gorge and several bloodthirsty Yam’rii were waiting, and with a nod from his general, he pressed a button.

There was a whirring, and a battle droid turned to see that the security checkpoint room had been set up with E-web blasters and small autoturrets.

“Uh oh…” he muttered, as he and his platoon were cut to ribbons by the attack.

“Well done. Prepare the next killzone, and retreat towards the hangar, we’re getting out of here. Now.” She said, watching as spider droids trampled the remains of their fallen comrades, emerging from the smoke as they headed towards the Jedi and her retreating companions, Nath right behind them, her violet eyes glowing with a renewed malice.

XX

“General Grievous has entered the base, General aagh!” a clone yelled as Grievous sliced him in two as Nystammall lead the retreat.

The marshalled clones outside the research lab were pouring fire towards the general but all he was doing was mocking them, his sabers deflecting their shots as he and his troops entered the base as the droids continued to pour in from the parapet.

“We need to hold him off, long enough for the ships to get ready to leave, stand fast men!” Nystammall bellowed, raising his saber, and the clones gave a Mandalorian cry, pouring blaster fire and throwing thermal detonators up the corridor, small explosions shattering droids but nothing was hurting their general as he advanced like a force of nature up the corridor.

“We didn’t make the barracks a killzone, we didn’t think they’d get in this way!” one of the command staff, a normal human, cried in despair as droids entered Blissex’s quarters with blasters firing.

“The lab can self destruct though yes?” Nystammall muttered, and the man struggled to hear over the din of battle, but nodded.

“Yes, but…” he began, but Nystammall deflected two shots away from the man, but a third from another droid punched right through his face.

Shaking his head, Nystammall continued his defensive as Grievous arrived at the entrance to the barracks, casually decapitating the clones who had been using the doorway for cover.

Nystammall steeled himself when Kiltak appeared in his formation, and in his hand, a white piece of cloth. The Jedi looked at the Yam’rii in shock as he came through, and a curious Grievous raised his hand, stopping the droids in their tracks as he allowed Kiltak to approach.

“You wish to surrender bug?” he asked, and the Yam’rii councillor raised his hands.

“I have no wish to harm you general. I only came to talk to you. I know that you have issue with my people. What we did to the Kalee was reprehensible, and part of me believes that on some level, we deserve everything you have done to us today. But…general, I offer you my apologies. We were wrong. That doesn’t excuse what we did, certainly, but I hope you know that some of us felt that we were wrong to do to your people what we did. Please don’t make yourself as bad as we are.” He pleaded, and the clones and the Jedi were shocked, the councilman was actually trying to talk Grievous down, the biggest mass murderer in the galaxy, and he was trying to talk him down.

Grievous took a step towards the Yam’rii, and to everyone’s shock, he outstretched a hand, even some battle droids made noises of disbelieving incomprehension. Kiltak reached forward…

And then Grievous ripped his limb from his socket, Kiltak screaming in pain, blood spurting from the injury, covering the general in green blood as he hit Kiltak in the head with his own arm. Grievous then seized the Yam’rii’s head in his hand, digging his sharp fingers into Kiltak’s eyes, and with a final, terrified, anguished scream, Kiltak’s head exploded, showering the corridor in green blood and a sort of yellowish substance that seemed to be brains.

“Slaughter them all!” Grievous roared, his sabers springing to life once more as the battle was once again on.

XX

Their defences had failed, the killzones had only slowed down the droids, and now they were coming around the corridor, and would soon be in the corridor to the hangar.

“General, we need to retreat!” Gorge yelled, firing multiple shots and taking down an assassin droid that had been about to attack.

“Agreed. We’ve held too long as it is, prepare the final killzone!” she ordered, her blue blade plunging through the chest of a super as they rounded the corner, heading towards the command corridor.

Her troops were being steadily whittled down, and many of the Yam’rii had turned and fled, fleeing for the relative safety of the ships in the hangar, leaving Puroth with her clones and a few brave command staff from the base. Grindeen had also fled, ostensibly to take command of the hangar defence, but she suspected he was safely on a ship already.

Entering the junction that marked the beginning of the command corridor, Puroth could just make out Nath’s red blade coming round the corner when she had to turn to deflect a shot up the corridor leading to the command centre. Turning while deflecting the hail of blasterfire coming from her own corridor, she saw Nystammall and his few remaining Yam’rii and clones retreating along the corridor outside the command centre, with droids starting to emerge round the corner, sending potshots their way.

“The base is lost general!” Gorge cried, sniping a dwarf spider as it rounded the corner, and she snarled in annoyance, he was right, but they had to defend the ships long enough for take off.

“Indeed. Prepare to purge the command centre and prepare the comm room killzone, then take your men to the hangar door, we need to leave. Nystammall, hurry my apprentice!” she cried, and the Vuvrian turned one of his many eyes towards his master and nodded.

“You heard her, fall back to the hangar door!” he ordered, just as Grievous entered the command corridor, his alabaster metallic plating blackened from the explosion that had destroyed the research lab. He had hoped for a second when the blast had gone off that the general was dead, but no such luck.

The clones, and the last few beleaguered and exhausted Yam’rii turned, fleeing up the corridor, leaving Nystammall to use his lightsaber to create a wall of defence as he backed along the corridor towards his master.

“Hurry young one!” Puroth yelled, her clones firing into her own corridor, trying valiantly to defend the last holdout.

Grievous roared in anger as he bore down on Nystammall, who blasted the general with a Force push, which this time surprised the general and knocked him off his feet. Using this, the younger Jedi fled along the corridor, his Ataru bred agility serving him well as he deflected blaster bolts as he bounced up the corridor to his master’s side.

“Commander?” Puroth asked as Nystammall landed beside her, taking her place defending her corridor while she took his one.

“Ready general!” Gorge reported, and with a nod, a heavy boom echoed out of the command centre as an EMP pulse shredded all the info inside the command centre.

The pulse filtered through the walls, the droids crackling with energy as they shut down as the invisible shockwave passed over them. Grievous pulled himself back to his feet, snarled and smashed a droid against the wall as his flanking forces shut down around him and he turned his attention to the two Jedi.

“That’s it general!” Gorge yelled, and she nodded.

“Excellent! To the hangar!” she ordered, and she and Nystammall took up their positions, deflecting blaster bolts while Grievous stalked down the corridor, murder in mind.

Gorge led the last clones into the hangar, and the two Jedi left the junction, heading for the hangar themselves as Grievous began to sprint up the corridor, his two sabers raised.

“Wait…” Nystammall called as the first spider droid entered the junction.

“Wait…” Puroth ordered as Grievous put his first foot into the junction.

“NOW!” the two Jedi yelled in unison as rocket launchers, E-webs, grenade launchers, EMP weapons, turrets and floating mines, all stored in the comm room all went off, turning the junction into a slaughter field, Grievous roaring in surprise as it happened.

“Seal the hangar!” Puroth yelled as she and her apprentice leapt inside, and the doors slammed shut, locking the droids, however many remained, outside.

Silence reigned for a moment as the exhausted clones, remaining Yam’rii and Jedi got their breath back.

“We made it. Do you think we made it?” Nystammall asked his panting master, and she clutched her chest as she got her breath back.

“I don’t know. Commander Blissex, Commander Grindeen,” she said, seeing that they had set up a few E-web turrets and had more clones using shipping crates as barricades, “get these people onto the ships and get those ships in the air, we’re leaving.” She ordered, and Grindeen nodded.

“Of course master Jedi.” He said, and Blissex laid a hand on Puroth’s shoulder.

“You and your men fought valiantly master Jedi, thank you.” She said, and just as Puroth was about to respond there was a hissing noise and she turned, her eyes bulging in horror as a blue and green blade punched through the door, slicing a wide circle. There was then a clang and the metal plate that had been cut loose flew into the hangar.

Puroth and Nystammall twirled out of the way, but the metal plate slammed into Grindeen, crushing him and killing him instantly. Blissex went pale as a nightmare entered the hangar, green and blue sabers in his hands, his white form burned black by the battle.

“Grievous…” she whispered in terror, nervously falling back towards the _Hammertong_.

“End of the line Jedi!” Grievous spat as a bloodied and singed Nath entered, red blade glowing, her eyes looking at the clones hungrily.

“Master?” Nystammall asked in fear, his hands shaking around his blue blade.

“Whatever our fate my former apprentice, let us meet it as Jedi. Commander Blissex, get those ships in the air. We will give you the time you need.” She vowed, raising her blade as blasterfire filled the hangar, and Grievous mocking laughter echoed through the room as he stalked towards his prey.

XX

Tovarskl still burned from space. Ringed around the planet were dozens of Separatist warships. The _Invisible Hand_ , Grievous’ flagship, hung above the capital city, its turbolasers ripping massive chunks out of it, scorching the very land it was built on. _Lucrehulk_ battleships, _Diamond_ class cruisers, _Munificent_ frigates, _Recusant_ frigates, _Fantail_ class destroyers and _Lupus_ class missile frigates continued to rain fire and death down on the planet surface, annihilating everything they could find with their turbolasers and missiles, as hundreds of fighters and transports descended, all carrying out Grievous order to annihilate the populace.

And it was then that the _Guarlara_ leapt out of hyperspace, her turbolasers shredding apart several unsuspecting _Recusant_ frigates and missile frigates, punching a hole right through to the planet.

“Launch all fighters! Master Ti, you have your opening!” Captain Primrose barked into the comm as ARC-170s, V-Wings and Z-95s swarmed from her hangar, laser blasts and missiles filling the space between the Star Destroyer and the Separatist fleet, catching the Vulture droids and Tri-fighters unawares.

“Thank you captain. Let’s go!” Shaak Ti ordered, and the _Consular_ class frigate left the lower hangar, bound for the planet, several gunships forming up around it as it headed through the maelstrom of turbolaser fire as the shocked Separatist forces began to recover.

As the Separatist fleet started exchanging turbolaser fire with the _Guarlara_ , which began to perform a Marg Sabl in order to protect itself more from the heavy flak field the Separatists were throwing at her.

The frigate, the _Interceptor_ , descended, its turbolasers blasting Vulture droids from space as the ship and its gunships flew through the hole in the Separatist armada, descending amid heavy fire into the atmosphere.

“Don’t take this the wrong way Master Kcaj but I rather wish Master Tiin was at the controls.” Shaak Ti said, wincing as the ship rocked from a lucky shot from a _Lucrehulk_.

“Oh don’t worry, I agree, that or Master Skywalker, I’m sure he’d have a plan for this.” Coleman said cheerfully as weapons fire from the planet began firing up towards them and their gunship escorts.

Cueball and Coleman’s commander, Skytrap, both entered the cockpit.

“Orders general?” Cueball asked, and Shaak Ti winced as another blast impacted on the shields.

“Prepare to lay down covering fire, and transmit the same order to the gunships. We must evacuate Commander Blissex. But, if, as we suspect, Grievous is there, we will tackle him, do not engage him, he’s too dangerous.” She ordered, and the two clones nodded as they burst through the cloud cover, flying through the smoke filled skies and bound for the research base.

“Force save us.” Coleman whispered in horrified shock as he saw the burning planet beneath them, and the masses upon masses of droids.

“Open fire.” Shaak Ti ordered, and the turbolasers of the frigate along with the missiles and lasers of the gunships began to fall, ripping massive swaths out of the droid ranks.

“General, we’re picking up a distress signal from the Republic base…Grievous is inside!” one of the clone engineers in the navigator’s station behind them.

“Then may the Force be with us. All speed Master Kcaj.” Shaak Ti nodded as the convoy blazed through the sky, bound for their confrontation with Grievous.

XX

Grievous was unstoppable. With a vicious laugh he leapt towards the two Jedi, his green and blue blades hammering down at their own weapons as Nath entered the hangar, blaster fire surrounding her as super battle droids, battle droids and droidekas began to pour in through the hole that Grievous had cut into the door.

The clones were using their barricades for cover, but it was then that Nath, her red blade glowing, sprang into action, her saber plunging through the chests, necks and stomachs of clones as began to cut through entire squads of them as though they were made of wheat. Blissex and her companions had fled to the boarding ramps of the ships, firing shots and relying on the shields of their vessels to protect them.

Turbolaser blasts began to thump through the hangar, Nath hissing in annoyance as the scarlet light assault cruiser opened fire with its front laser cannons, forcing her to flip through the air to avoid the attacks, giving the clones the cover they needed to fall back from the barricades, allowing the bloodthirsty Yam’rii to attack, the vicious insects taking advantage of the droids confusion, ripping them apart and allowing the beleaguered clones to recover themselves, and once more open fire on the droids pouring through the hole.

“Captain, shoot the door!” Blissex barked, shooting down a super at it entered the hangar with her hand pistol.

The laser blasts flashed across the hangar, turning the metal blast door scorching hot and globules of molten metal fell onto the droids, making several of the battle droids scream in pain as they entered, giving them a slight respite.

Gorge was now out in the centre of the hangar, taking command of the thronging Yam’rii and clones, forcing back against the oncoming legions of droids, scattering them with whatever weapons they could find in order to try and delay the droids as the thrum of powering up engines filled the hangar.

“We’re never going to get out of here.” Blissex breathed as Nath began to approach, like the predator knowing it had cornered its prey, her red saber soon to end Blissex’s life.

However the Jedi were of no use to them. Puroth and Nystammall were going up against Grievous, and the general was taking no prisoners. His two coloured blades were a tapestry of light, his mocking laughter filling their ears and demoralising them as he parried and blocked every single one of the two Jedi’s attacks. It was obvious that the Vuvrian was the weak link, the Eirrauc, clearly his master, was compensating for her apprentice, former or not’s, shortcomings. While she was a master of Soresu, his mastery of Ataru was still incomplete, and was actually making him more of a hindrance than a help.

Grievous then kicked Puroth away, the older Jedi wheezing as his taloned foot crashed into her abdomen and sent her crashing to the ground. Grievous then swung his blades, Nystammall falling back rapidly, his acrobatic moves and light, fluid manoeuvres no use against such a sustained offensive. His blue blade was everywhere, true, but it was clear that he was tiring. Grievous was hammering away at his defence as Puroth got back to her feet, summoning her saber back to her hand.

“Gorge, fire on Grievous!” she bellowed in panic, seeing that her former apprentice was struggling to hold the cyborg off.

Grievous hammered his blades against Nystammall’s before using his blue saber to casually deflect the bolts now coming his way, barely slowing as Nystammall now had to content with only his green saber, but also the clone’s well intentioned blaster fire. Grievous deflected shots single handedly, pursuing his advantage over Nystammall, who was struggling to escape while his master rushed to his aid. Seeing this, Grievous could tell that it was time to end this.

With a single gesture, he signalled Nath, who jumped from her sprint towards the light assault cruiser and swung her saber at Puroth, distracting the Jedi from her goal of reaching her apprentice. Laughing mercilessly, Grievous was everywhere at once, his sabers beating mercilessly at the Vuvrian’s defence. Coming in high, he was preventing Nystammall from jumping around or flipping away, and by attacking low with the other blade, he prevented Nystammall from being too evasive. Nystammall was sweating, his many eyes widened in terror as Grievous assaulted him, and it was then that Grievous struck his killing blow.

Lunging forward, Nystammall raised his saber to pierce the gap left in Grievous defence, and realised half a second too late that Grievous had left it there so he could take the bait.

Turning away from the attack, Grievous stomped down, Nystammall screaming in pain as one of the general’s metal talons pierced his foot. Cutting down with the blue saber, the Vuvrian screamed even louder as his species low pain threshold came into play as his hand came flying off, leaving only a molten coloured stump. Grievous twirled his green saber, one of Nystammall’s antennae being sliced from his head, the Jedi using his one good hand to reach up to the mutilated appendage.

And with a sinister laugh, Grievous plunged both lightsabers into the Jedi’s large, oblong head, green and blue light shining out from behind Nystammall’s many eyes before his body keeled face first onto the floor, the smoking holes in his skull sizzling slightly as one of the Jedi finally lay dead at his feet.

“NO!” Puroth screamed, and using three of her hands, she conjured an almighty Force push that sent Nath screaming across the hangar, sending her rolling to edge of the parapet and almost over the edge.

Grievous laughed mockingly as he hung the lightsaber of Daakman Barrek on his belt, and instead stooped to pluck Nystammall’s from his limp, twitching hand and lit the blue blade, raising it in salute to Puroth who raised her saber, her eyes drawn to the corpse of her former Padawan.

“All the reports speak true…you are a monster.” She spat, and Grievous laughed.

“Of course I am to you Jedi, I’m the thing that haunts your dreams. Gone are the days of Aura Sing, flitting in the minds of your younglings. Ventress was proved wanting, and feared by few in the end. Durge, alas, is dead, and he no longer scourges your kind. But now Jedi,” he boomed, twirling his sabers, green and blue, in circles as he approached her, “now you are only left with me. I, General Grievous, slayer of over a hundred Jedi, breaker of the Republic and avenger of the Kalee, I am now the thing you all fear, and I will make you all taste it one last time before you die!” he decreed, his two sabers cutting down at her in a scissor.

Puroth was already on the move, her blue blade pushing the two offending blades away from her, twirling her saber and stabbing upwards.

Grievous roared in irritation more than anything else as the saber pierced his shoulder, not far but enough to give him pause, and he fell back as the Jedi Master hissed.

“Then General…it is time for the nightmare to end.” She bit out bravely, and raised her saber over her head in a guard position, watching as Grievous eyes expanded in delight.

Grievous was then on her with a roar, his massive feet striking out at her, and forcing her off balance before she had made her first move. However she quickly recovered, hearing Grievous sigh in annoyance as she leapt over him, and he barely turned in time to counter the stabbing lunge that could have killed him. Blocking her attack, he pushed against her, but the Jedi was a master of her form, her form flawless, countering every attack he made, deftly avoiding the ones she could not block, or using the Force to deflect attacks that could undo her. Swerving out of the way, she blocked a swing from his green blade, running it down the length of her own blue one before batting it away and clashing her saber against his other one, and with that she swung upwards, going for his head.

Grievous snarled, pulling back just in time, his two blades coming down at her from above, forcing her to re-evaluate her position as she turned her defensive form to countering the heavy handed blows coming from above. Locking the sabers above her, she used one of her other arms to direct a Force push into Grievous, the general snarling in fury as he flew backwards, crashing into the ruins of his droids.

“Get those ships in the air!” Puroth ordered, readying her blade as Grievous charged at her.

Blue and green flashes of lightning descended on her as she was everywhere yet nowhere at once, giving herself fully to the Force, deflecting his attacks and ceding ground to him in favour of a more favourable tactical position, one of which she found, leaping to the top of the _Hammertong_ to escape his newest attack. Grievous growled and sprang up after her, surprising the Jedi as he landed with a clank on the bridge.

And it was in that moment that she realised she had doomed herself.

She had jumped to the middle of the ship, behind the main cannon, and Grievous had sprung up, crushing it beneath his weight, and it was then that she realised she was going to be trapped up against the transmitter array. Sighing, and closing her eyes for a moment, she knew that she had to make sure he did as little damage to the ship as possible in order for her charges to escape. Holding her saber in front of her, she went to meet her fate.

Grievous pounced off the ruined turret, his two blades crashing down at the Eirrauc Jedi Master, her blade catching his attack and forcing him off. Spinning from his attack, she cut upwards, only to be deflected by his other blade, forcing her back onto the defensive. Grievous was a titan, his sabers crashing blow after blow down on her defences, Puroth’s blade zooming everywhere as it tried to stop his assault, steadily being forced back towards the transmitter array. Puroth slashed at him, deflecting his blows as he fell upon her, forced onto the backfoot as the General’s offensive weakened down her offensive, whittling down her energy, and with nowhere to flee to in fear he would get into the ship, she had nowhere left to run. Despite this, she constantly blocked his attacks, her blade work masterful as Grievous pushed his advantage, his offensive crashing down on her, the older Jedi beginning to tire.

And then she felt the antennae of the transmitter poke into her back and she knew it as over. Despite that, she twirled her blade, calling the Force to her, and slammed her blade into those of Grievous, locking their sabers, all three blades spitting as she prevented him from killing her.

“This isn’t over.” She snarled, and he gave a dark laugh.

“Oh but my dear Jedi…it is!” he vowed, and something flickered out of the corner of her eye, but she reacted too late to stop it.

Grievous had split his arms in two, and the new top arm then lunged out, catching hold of her spindly neck and raising her from the ground while the other top arm seized her weapon holding wrist, immobilising her and preventing her from freeing herself.

“End game.” He whispered, and Puroth screamed in pain as Grievous hacked off her many arms with his two blades, then her scream went up in pitch as he took her legs, and the scream was suddenly cut short as he cut her in thirds, her head spinning high into the air and landing at the foot of the boarding ramp onto the _Hammertong_.

“Excellent. Another lightsaber to add to my collection.” He purred in pleasure, picking Puroth’s blade from the hull of the ship, and was about to use it to enter the ship itself when a noise distracted him.

Looking up, his eyes bulged in fury as he saw a Republic frigate, flanked by gunships descend, and then open fire.

Barely igniting his newest saber in time, he managed to deflect most of the laser blast but the sonic impact sent him spinning off the top of the ship and crashing to the ground as the frigate and the gunships tried to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

XX

Blissex had screamed when Puroth’s head had landed at her feet, but then to her immense surprise, blue blasterfire was now filling the hangar. Looking around in wonder she saw new squads of clones entering the hangar from outside and turbolaser and gunship cannons were now scattering the few remaining droids that were in the hangar.

“Alright people, we’re leaving! Let’s go!” Gorge yelled as he, the surviving clones that weren’t already in their transports and the last, blood spattered Yam’rii ran for the safety of the newly arrived gunships.

“You aren’t going anywhere!” Nath spat, and Gorge screamed as the Acolyte sprang the length of the hangar, her red saber cutting him in two just below his armpits.

“Gorge now too, we need to leave!” Blissex barked and as covering fire rained across the hangar, she finally heard the sound of engines roaring to life.

Nath finished butchering Gorge, and she fixed her violet eyes on the cruiser. Blissex raised her blaster but a new combatant then entered the battle, a blue lightsaber in hand.

“You have done enough murder dark sider.” Coleman declared, crashing his blade against hers and pushing Nath back on the defensive.

Nath snarled in fury, and Blissex watched, fascinated as Coleman Kcaj and Nath went at it, the blue and red sabers twirling and crashing against each other. Nath was quickly losing ground as Coleman, a master of Djem So, unleashed a blistering offensive against her erratic defence, deflecting some attacks and capitalising on others. Nath screeched as his blade nicked her shoulder and her knee, and scenting blood, Coleman went in for the kill.

Suddenly everywhere at once, he pushed her back into the throng of dismembered droids. Nath snarled, her red blade intercepting his blade and locking it in place.

“Surrender.” Coleman ordered, and she spat in his eye, her face the picture of spite.

“Never!” she screamed, and Coleman sighed regretfully before leaping into the air and bringing his saber down in a heavy handed slice.

Nath barely began to scream. Having expected him to flip over her, she had prepared for that, not realising Coleman had just leapt into the air to give him the benefit of height. The blue blade sliced down through her skull and ended at her groin, the two halves of one of Dooku’s last lieutenants dropping to floor like discarded fruit skin.

“Pity.” He lamented, though his eyes widened in shock, barely jumping away as Grievous appeared from nowhere, both blades crashing into the ground where he had been standing a second previously.

“More Jedi for me to kill!” Grievous crowed as the hangar filled with the sounds of departing ships.

“Coleman, leave. Commander Blissex, I am Master Shaak Ti of the Jedi Council. I’ve been sent to get you to safety. Get on board your ship. I will deal with Grievous.” A voice said from behind her and Blissex turned in shock to see the Jedi Master emerge, her blue saber raised, her black eyes narrowed as she beheld Grievous, who chuckled.

“Shaak Ti, the last time I saw you was on Hypori, it’s been some time Jedi, going to let me finish what I started?” Grievous taunted, igniting his two new ill-gotten gains, and Shaak Ti, raised her saber.

“This time will be different general, this time I’m not exhausted, or ambushed. Coleman, get them to safety, I will deal with this.” She ordered as she emerged into the centre of the hangar.

Quickly casting her eyes around the room, she looked at the bodies, including those of her two fallen fellow Jedi. However the shuttle and the transports were now fully loaded and leaving the hangar, and the last surviving clones and Yam’rii were now packed onto the gunships and the last were boarding the _Hammertong_ and the _Interceptor_. Coleman took hold of Blissex’s arm and all but dragged her towards the frigate, allowing the overloaded and well armed light cruiser to back out of the hangar as their fighters descended from orbit to get them out of there.

“So confident Jedi. Your friend Adi Gallia was confident…at least until I gutted her!” he boasted, and Shaak Ti’s ire grew, Adi had been a good friend of hers and she had been greatly hurt to hear of her death on Boz Pity at the hands of this monster.

She raised her saber.

“You did not deserve to steal that blade Grievous.” She spat, as his guards had recovered her friend’s saber when they had rescued their master after his encounter with Mace, and Grievous laughed.

“Oh but I did Jedi…as I will now take yours!” he growled, and the two leapt at each other, the three blue blades slamming against each other.

Shaak Ti was like lightning, her acrobatic use of Makashi pushing against the sheer ferocity of Grievous. She was like a viper, fluid and deadly at the same time, her blade beating down his defences, looking for an opening. Catching one of his blades on her own, she ducked out of the way, coming into a spiralling strike that forced Grievous into retreat, giving her the advantage. Lunging for his head, he countered but she was already on the move, his heavy handed attack easily deflected as she jumped around him, her blade piercing into his shoulder plate as she did so, trying to find the one break in his defences.

Annoyed, Grievous began to spin his blades in circles, but she was wise to this move after Hypori, using her natural born agility to block the two blades, redirecting them away from her and crashing her hilt into his face. Spitting in rage, Grievous scissored at her but she flipped over the attack, her blade scoring down his back, a last second step being all that had saved him. Grievous swung his blades, aiming right for her head, but Shaak Ti deflected the blades easily, moving to a one handed grip, knocking the attacks away from her as she tried to retreat, knowing that to carry on this game was to court death. She had a mission after all, and it wasn’t the Jedi way to seek revenge.

Locking their blades in a saberlock, she pushed back against him, the general surprised by her strength.

“Dooku has been holding out on you general, he may have taught you all you know, but he hasn’t taught you all he knows, especially about Makashi.” She goaded, and Grievous aimed a kick at her, forcing her to flip to safety.

“I am the hunter and killer of Jedi, and I am a master of all forms of saber combat, as you will now learn!” he snarled, and Shaak Ti recalled Luminara Unduli alerting her to the fact that Separatist saber wielders didn’t like being taunted about their lightsaber technique.

Detaching his two arms into four, Grievous pulled another two sabers from his belt, the blades of Daakman Barrek and Jmmarr, and as he did so, she spotted something.

Adi’s lightsaber, hanging there, on his belt, having no place there just like all the others.

Gesturing with the Force, Adi’s saber flew through the air into her waiting hand, and Grievous snarled in rage.

“That’s mine Jedi!” he spat, and she allowed herself a small smile as she lit the blue blade in her free hand.

“No, it isn’t.” she told him sweetly, and with a bellow like an incensed reek, he charged at her, the three blue and one green blades a maelstrom of colour as he went up against the Jedi Master.

Shaak Ti was on the move in an instant, spiralling through the air, her two blades crashing against his four, spinning them in her hand, deflecting Grievous upper cuts and slashes, her two blue blades moving like a kaleidoscope as the two duelled. Arcing her left hand blade, she locked two of Grievous’ blades, and twirled, barely avoiding a lethal slash that would have decapitated her, but using his failure to his advantage as she took a hand off, sending it and its saber hurtling away from the general. Growling, Grievous slashed down at her, Shaak Ti forced on the defensive as the general seemed to attack everywhere at once, her blue blades a wall of light against his thunderstorm of strikes, Shaak Ti being forced backwards, Grievous sense of triumph growing as he pushed the council member back. Knocking her backwards, Grievous laughed in victory as she staggered backwards, his blades coming down to slice her in two, but then she was gone, and Grievous yelled in rage as another hand flew from his body, leaving him with his orginal two sabers.

Shaak Ti was then on him, her blades flashing all around him, her elegant and acrobatic style keeping her opponent guessing as she pushed him towards the parapet. Flipping over him, she turned and deflected his strike, before angling his blade away from her and lunging with Adi’s, going for his face and forcing him onto the defensive once again. Twirling out of the attack range, she span, avoiding his retaliatory strike, cutting upwards in a move that forced him to backpedal away from her. Sensing victory was near, Shaak Ti leapt at him, her saber going right for his chest, and Grievous barely blocked in time, locking their sabers.

“I underestimated you Jedi.” He admitted, a new respect in his voice, and she smiled.

“Indeed.” She admitted, and performed a deft move, disarming him of one of his blades which sent it hurtling away into a corner of the hangar.

Grievous snarled, his remaining blue saber cutting down at her but she deflected the attack, but in so doing allowed him to get one more of his sabers, igniting it with murderous lust.

Shaak Ti countered his attacks, using her right saber to angle the blades away from her. Cutting up at him with the left blade, he caught that one in a saberlock but she then stabbed at him with the right, though before he could deflect, she leapt over him, landing and attacking from behind. Grievous cursed, reversing his grip and foiling her attack, but Shaak Ti just danced out of the way of his next strike, deviating the slashes and cuts with her saber as she made for the parapet. Her blades everywhere, she was invulnerable, Grievous frustration was growing, and she then flipped into the air, her blades rotating around her, nicking his armour, and with one swipe of her own blade cutting a gash into his facemask, Grievous roaring in anger and pain as it happened. Seeking revenge, he kicked at her, his foot catching her in the stomach and she bent over with a wheeze, though she angled a quick Force push to deflect his attack, knocking him back a few paces allowing her to recover, and lock their blades as he tried to cut her into thirds.

“End of the road Jedi!” he declared, smug in victory, and she nodded.

“Quite.” She agreed, and he narrowed his eyes in confusion before she pushed against him, putting the Force behind it as she did so. Grievous swayed, and Shaak Ti struck like a serpent, her blades slicing off his feet and sending Grievous crashing to the ground with a thud and a pained exclamation, as he rolled onto his front, grabbing his blaster as he fell and firing at the Jedi.

The first two shots pinged harmlessly away, but then his other shots did nothing, and Grievous looked up to see Shaak Ti leaping backwards, out of the hangar and landing deftly on the extended ramp of the _Interceptor_.

“Until next time general.” She said, giving him a Makashi salute as her small convoy, now flanked by fighters, roared towards space.

“They escaped sir.” A lone surviving battle droid commented, and Grievous snarled and shot the droid in the head, glaring hatefully up at the retreating Jedi.

XX

The small convoy sped towards orbit, their weapons pounding as they did so, blazing through the atmosphere and into space, only to enter a hurricane of turbolaser fire as the separatist fleet tried to prevent their escape. Fire was streaming from the _Guarlara_ but she was still flying, and provided they were quick, this would all be over soon.

“Captain Primose, this is Commander Cueball, you may recall the fighters!” Cueball called from his station as the ARC-170s around them cleared the area of droid fighters, and they watched in satisfaction as a _Recusant_ exploded into fragments.

Separatist warships were bearing down on them, and dozens of Scarab, Vulture and tri fighters were swarming after them, laser blasts shredding down their shields, and Blissex exclaimed as one of the CR20s was blown to smithereens by Grievous flagship, but the rest of the convoy pushed on through, their shield alarms wailing as they headed for the Star Destroyer.

“All Republic forces, prepare for full retreat.” Shaak Ti ordered, the entire ship shaking as a missile frigate opened fire, it’s fiery weapons exploding near them and turning their viewports the colour of lava, watching as their fighter escorts blazed ahead to the _Guarlara_ as they shuddered from multiple Separatist weapon impacts.

Breaking through the broken blockade, the smaller ships joined the fighters in docking on the Star Destroyer while the _Hammertong_ and the _Interceptor_ flanked the Star Destroyer, enemy turbolaser fire pounding away at them as they made their escape, and Coleman breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the hangar doors of the Star Destroyer close.

“That’s everyone aboard, full retreat!” Primrose ordered, and with that the three warships blazed into lightspeed, leaving the burning world of Tovarskl far behind, surrounded by a riled Separatist fleet and a lot of debris that marked the fall of yet another planet to the Separatists.

XX

“Master Ti?” Blissex asked hesitantly from the doorway.

Shaak Ti had entered the salon pod in order to meditate as they made their way back to Coruscant. Before her was Adi’s lightsaber, and it was that which she was meditating on. She was actually deciding whether or not to keep it in the temple, Adi had been a Jedi all her life, but there was also her pirate companions on Lok, Nym and his band, and she was considering sending it to them. After all, while Jedi mourned, they did so differently than others. Perhaps it would be more fitting on Lok, where even a Jedi Master had won over a pirate. And the old softie had named a volcano for her bless him.

“Yes commander?” she asked, opening her eyes and beholding the woman in the doorway.

“I just wanted to thank you and Master Kcaj, for saving us. I’m sorry about Master Puroth, and Nystammall, they fought bravely.” She said, and Shaak Ti gave her a tired smile.

“Thank you commander. I’m gad we got you to safety though, I wouldn’t envy a woman of your unique position in the hands of Grievous.” She said, and Blissex shuddered.

“He’s a monster, the way he slaughtered the troops, the Yam’rii, what he did to the planet…and to your friends.” She said softly, and Shaak Ti looked at her sadly.

“He is a monster, yes, but we will get him eventually, and he will be brought to justice.” She assured her, and Blissex nodded, a small, smug smile on her face as she did so.

“Don’t worry master Ti, what I was working on, well, it’ll change the face of the galaxy.” She promised before leaving the doorway, and Shaak Ti looked after her curiously…

And then felt a cold shiver pass up her spine.

Suppressing the odd feeling, and thinking she didn’t particularly approve of Blissex’s occupation much, she once more entered her trance, though that feeling of foreboding remained.

XX

The three ships exited hyperspace into the teeming space lanes of Coruscant, and it was then that Coleman learned they were being directed to the chancellor’s private landing pad, leaving Primrose in orbit to see to the transfer of the now homeless Yam’rii.

The ship descended through the clouds, passing several _Acclamator_ class transports as it descended, flying over the military parade ground as they headed for the executive building.

“How much longer will this war last?” Coleman mused as they came in for a landing, and Shaak Ti patted his hand reassuringly.

“Not much longer my friend, it can’t do. By and large, we have them on the run, Master Rancisis has the enemy bogged down on Saluecami, and Master Kenobi is leading an offensive on Cato Neimodia which will hopefully capture Viceroy Gunray, who undoubtedly knows the most about the Separatist war effort among their council. Dooku and Grievous can’t run forever.” She assured him, and she actually believed even herself, the war was coming to an end, it was just taking its sweet, bloody time about it.

The _Interceptor_ came in for a landing, and Shaak Ti was relieved to see that, while the Supreme Chancellor was standing there, he was also standing with Master Windu, and clones and senate guards surrounded them all. The hatch opened and Blissex left the ship, saluting the Chancellor as she did so, and he nodded before extending a hand and greeting her warmly.

“It’s a great gift to see you alive Lira, when we heard about Tovarskl we feared the worst.” He said kindly, and Blissex nodded, looking relieved as she greeted the most powerful man in the galaxy like an old friend.

“All thanks to the Jedi Supreme Chancellor. Master Ti and Master Kcaj allowed us to escape…and sadly Masters Puroth and Nystammall paid for our escape with their lives.” She lamented, and Mace’s face fell slightly as he exchanged a troubled look with his Jedi colleagues.

Palpatine smiled warmly and briefly clasped Shaak Ti’s hand.

“And once more the Republic is indebted to the Jedi Order, and more importantly Master Ti, to you, and to Master Kcaj of course. My deepest sympathies, if there’s anything I can do.” He assured her and she managed a small smile, patting his hand.

“Thank you chancellor. It means a lot.” She said, regretting that relations between the council and him were so strained right now, and Palpatine smiled warmly before turning to Blissex.

“Well commander, I am most eager to hear your report. Master Kcaj, Master Ti, tea perhaps?” he asked, and while Coleman nodded eagerly, Mace took a step forward.

“Excuse me chancellor, but I wonder if I might borrow Master Ti for a few minutes before you debrief her?” he asked, and Palpatine nodded affably.

“Of course Master Windu, take as much time as you need. Come my friends, and we will see what we can do for the Yam’rii on Tovarskl.” He told them as he led Blissex and Coleman away with the security contingent, leaving Mace standing with Shaak Ti on the landing pad.

“I failed Mace, I hoped to at least defeat Grievous and bring him to justice, but I failed. And he got Master Puroth and Nystammall’s lightsabers.” She admitted, and he laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“It wasn’t your fault Shaak Ti. And besides, I saw the other blade at your waist, you brought her home Shaak Ti.” He told her kindly, and she smiled wanly as the two headed for inside, the cool breeze washing over them.

“Can we do anything for Tovarskl?” she asked, and Mace nodded.

“Master Piell has arrived, combined with Masters Kota, Offee, Swan and Ferroda. Grievous has fled as usual, but they are forcing the Separatists from the world.” He informed her, and she sighed, but at least they could do some good for the Yam’rii now.

“And what other news from the front?” she asked, and Mace allowed himself a small smile.

“Master Fisto reports that the Battle of Cato Neimodia is going well, and Skywalker and Kenobi are pursuing Gunray as we speak. Master Rancisis also tells us that he intends to take the caldera rim today, and that a path to victory will be revealed, so with a bit of luck, we will soon break the Separatist backbone. You should know, I recommended to Master Yoda that we have Master Kcaj stand in for Master Rancisis while he leads the Siege of Saluecami.” He told her, and she smiled.

“That’s good. Will you allow me to tell him? He’s a good friend, and deserves it, he’s more than proved himself.” She said, and Mace nodded.

“Of course. Report to my quarters with him on your return to the temple Master Ti, and we’ll debrief. But you still seem uneasy my friend?” he asked, and she pursed her lips, and turned a tortured gaze onto Mace.

“Did you ever do something Mace, and think afterwards, that what seemed the right thing at the time actually might have just made things worse?” she asked, and he fixed her with a sympathetic look.

“We can’t second guess ourselves Shaak Ti.” He chided, his voice compassionate, and she nodded, looking out towards the temple, far in the distance.

“I know. But something bothers me Mace…I fear that by saving some lives today…I doomed a lot more further down the line.” She said ominously, and she felt that shiver up her back as she did so, while Mace looked at his friend, a slight feeling of trepidation growing in his stomach as she uttered her prophecy.

XX

Master Ti and Kcaj had left, the Yam’rii refugees were being attended to, and as the sun set over Coruscant, Blissex sat in the office of the Supreme Chancellor, who clasped his hands together as he observed the blueprints for the new Star Destroyer.

“As you can see chancellor, at present levels of technology, it would be impractical, if not unfeasible, to install the Hammertong superlaser on board one of the new _Imperator_ class Star Destroyers, but, give it a few years, or some dedicated research, then I see no reason we can’t.” she told him, and he smiled, nodding in approval.

“Excellent commander, you have done well. And the Jedi, they suspect nothing?” he asked, and she shook her head.

“No sir, all they know is that I’m working on a new Star Destroyer. But, in terms of installing a superlaser on board a vessel, I have already made some preliminary designs of a new class of warship, which if you’ll permit me, I see as one day being your flagship sir. The _Eclipse_ class Star Destroyer.” She said with relish, activating the appropriate slide, and Palpatine examined the ship, smiling in approval.

“Well Commander Blissex…I look forward to the day that you unveil this mighty warship. I look forward to the _Eclipse_ class with great interest.” He said, his eyes hungry as he took in the sleek black warship, with the ability to destroy a planet, installed in its very hull, the ship that would one day strike fear into every iota of his opposition, the ship that would one day be his.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a few years ago as part of a writing challenge, and thought I would post it here. Follows legends continuity, and also I hope redeems poor General Grievous and makes him the deadly menace he once was before the start of the Dark Times


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